Leslie Ann Locke is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her research interests include equity-oriented education policy, racial issues in schools, education policy and politics, leadership for justice and equity, and the educational experiences of girls and women. Dr. Locke received the highly prestigious Fulbright Grant in 2020, where she co-taught a graduate course at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mérida, Mexico and conducted research about the perspectives of public-school leaders and teachers serving low-income students and families. Dr. Locke makes diversity and inclusion a priority in her teaching and research, being named the College of Education Faculty Fellow in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from 2022 to 2024 at the University of Iowa and earning the Aubrey Qualls Commitment to Diversity Award at the University of Iowa in 2018. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Administration from Texas A&M University.